Retired FBI agents who investigated the 1993 World Trade Center bombing have criticized New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for his association with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a Brooklyn cleric named an unindicted co-conspirator in the attack. Mamdani’s appearance at Wahhaj’s mosque and his public endorsement of the imam have raised concerns about his political judgment and possible alignment with Islamist ideologies. Critics argue that Wahhaj has a history of endorsing extremist and anti-American views, including supporting groups linked to Hamas and advocating for Islamic law over democracy. The controversy has sparked debates over the Democratic Party’s tolerance for radical associations. Wahhaj remains a revered figure among some Islamist activists, including Linda Sarsour, who in 2017 called him ‘a mentor’ and ‘my favorite person in the room.’ Sarsour left the Women’s March, which she co-founded, amid accusations of antisemitism and has led many of the anti-Israel marches since the Oct. 7 attack. For reform-minded Muslims, however, the image of a rising American politician celebrating Wahhaj carries grim symbolism. ‘It sends the wrong message to moderate Muslims who are working hard to separate faith from extremism,’ said Ziada. ‘And it tells the broader American public that those aspiring to lead this country have forgotten what extremist ideology once did to New York’s skyline.’